Leadership of Pandora's Project
Pandora's Project, which operates the Pandora's Aquarium online support group, message board and chat room for sexual abuse, rape, and sexual assault victims, was founded in 1999 and is run by survivors for survivors.
More than 50 volunteers are devoted to the organization. The Board of Directors and moderating team are comprised of strong, diverse, and committed survivors of all types of sexual violence, including stranger rape, acquaintance rape, date rape, gang rape, partner and marital rape, and child sexual abuse. The staff includes therapists, teachers, published authors, advocates, a lawyer, parents, and partners. Although we do not offer professional advice or moderate Pandora's Aquarium in our professional capacities, we do bring varied and educated skills to Pandora's Project.
Additionally, we are grateful to consult with experts on sexual violence through our Advisory Board. These volunteers, with diverse qualifications in trauma, eating disorders, and mental health, provide feedback and advise us on programming, enabling us to best serve rape and sexual abuse survivors.
We are passionate about supporting rape and sexual abuse survivors, and we welcome you to get to know us.
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Executive Committee
Shannon L., JD (President and Founder)
I've been part of Pandora's Aquarium for most of my adult life, having started the message board when I was 19 in 1999. I am also a co-founder of the nonprofit that grew around the online support community. I am a survivor of an acquaintance rape, and I don't want any survivor to feel as alone as I did when I began healing.
I was named the 2009 Women of Worth National Honoree and Daily Point of Light (June 28, 2010) for my work with Pandora's Project.
I am a trained domestic violence and rape advocate and an active rape awareness and education speaker. I first spoke out when I appeared on 20/20 with Tori Amos in 1999, and I am a member of RAINN's Speaker's Bureau and was selected to be part of TEAM SOAR. Additionally, I serve on the Board of Directors of An Infinite Mind.
I am an attorney, living with my husband, son, and pets. My heroes are the late Senator Paul Wellstone and Sheila Wellstone, and if I can have a fraction of the positive influence on the world that they had, I will be thankful.
Jessica S., MA (Vice-President and Pandora's Aquarium Administrator)
I joined Pandora's Aquarium in June of 2001. Being a member of the message board helped me immensely as I began my healing after being raped in April of 2001 by my neighbor, so I was honored to be asked to be a moderator in April of 2002. Helping to manage this board remains a humbling privilege. I am awed by the brave and noble people who come here to heal. I also created the website Surviving to Thriving.
My healing path lead me to return to graduate school in 2003 to earn my degree in counseling, which I did in August of 2005. Although I focused my studies on the effects of sexual assault, I am not a practicing clinician. Shortly after I graduated, I married my husband Stephen and am now a stay-at-home mother to our two wonderful daughters. After bouncing around the east coast, I have recently settled in North Carolina with my family and our cat, Kiana, where I am a cook, gardener, and reader. I love to learn and laugh and am happier than I ever thought I could be.
Jackie (Secretary and Pandora's Aquarium Moderator)
I became a member of Pandora's Aquarium in the summer of 2001. After being raped by an acquaintance in 1998, I made a few efforts to seek online support, but didn't find anything beneficial until I arrived here. Having gained so much from this community, it was an incredible privilege to become a moderator in 2004. Being a moderator and Director has provided me with an avenue to take this life altering experience and help others realize it is possible to heal from sexual violence.
Teaching in an inner city has been my passion for the last 11 years. There isn't a day that I don't spring out of bed at the opportunity to work with children and help shape the future. Most recently I have completed my Administrative certification and aspire to enter Educational Leadership at some point in the not too distant future. I am extremely patriotic and enjoy reading about U.S. History. While I don't have any of my own children, I am blessed to have two wonderful nieces & a nephew whom I adore. I don't cook, but I do have a really nice new stove, so who knows what the future holds?!
Directors
Kristy (Director & Pandora's Aquarium Moderator)
I joined Pandora's Aquarium in 2001, when I was 18 years old. I had been a victim of gang rape that was organised by an ex-boyfriend. I am also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. At the time, I would never have believed that it would be possible to heal, but finding a community of people who understood made all the difference in my healing. I became a moderator and member of the Board of Directors in 2007, and am thankful for the opportunity to give something back. I’m grateful for the life I have, and I’m not sure I’d be who I am today without the support of this beautiful community.
For a few years I have been writing a book for survivors of gang rape, but it’s often put to the side to work on other projects! I recently initiated the Survivor Mural Project, which aims to raise global awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault, and provides all survivors with an opportunity to be heard.
I’m Australian, and currently live overseas. I have travelled to the United States three times, working in summer camps and as an au pair. I’d love to see the world, but am also looking forward to returning to Australia, where I am a primary school teacher.
I love local history, and art has always been an outlet for me. My other favourite outlet is the gym. I enjoy taking body pump and kick boxing classes. My favourite possession is my ipod, and I love drinking coffee and hanging out in my pajamas!
Louise M. (Director & Pandora's Aquarium Administrator)
I joined Pandora's Aquarium in 2001 to research for my then forthcoming book. I was so impressed with the quality of support and kindness that I stayed on as a survivor. I have been a moderator of Pandora's Aquarium since 2002, and was honoured to join the Board of Directors in 2007. As of 2010, I also manage the Australian branch of the Pandora's Project Lending Library. It has been a real privilege to give back to this community from which I have gained so much.
I have been an anti-rape campaigner and supporter of survivors for 20 years. After surviving domestic violence which included repeated sexual assault, I gained an Associate Diploma in Welfare Studies (La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia), and chose to put my professional qualifications and survivorship to the use of tackling the insufficiently addressed issue of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence. I have gained a measure of international recognition for expertise in the topic of IPSV. In 2002, I built the website Aphrodite Wounded, a site for survivors of marital/partner rape. In 2006 Real Rape, Real Pain: Help for women sexually assaulted by male partners, the book I co-authored with Dr Patricia Easteal was published to excellent critical acclaim. I speak on IPSV internationally, contribute articles for international publications, assist with the provision of training to workers, and speak in the media. In late 2008 I was offered an honorarium to be part of a new collaborative project between the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in the USA.
I'm Australian and married with five children and two grandchildren. I love random net-surfing, bellydancing, classical music, Harry Potter, good booze, off-colour jokes, and watching DVDs with my children.
Read Louise's story here.
Ash
I joined Pandy's in September 2001 desperately looking for help on how to get the intimacy back in my relationship with my husband. It was the first time I'd ever been in contact with people who understood what I was feeling. I found support as I tried to deal with being stalked and raped by an acquaintance, and as I went through the difficult legal process. In the fall of 2007, I became a section moderator for the Sex & Intimacy forum and for the Legal Action forum, and became a board mod a few months later. I'm so happy to be able to give back to this community that has helped me through some very difficult times. I have grown so much from being here, and I keep learning things every day.
I have been married to my husband for nearly four years. We live in Canada with our non-existent dogs, and spend most of our available free time travelling. I have worked in the language industry for several years as a translator, and once earned a living writing dictionary entries. Other interests include: cake, turquoise, puppies and corn. One day I hope to own a pot-bellied pig.
Cadence
When I joined Pandy's in 2007, I had already spent several years in and out of therapy with many different professionals. It was incredibly difficult for me to talk about the rape that occurred when I was a teen, and I spent most of my sessions avoiding the topic. At the suggestion of my therapist, I ran a search for online support and found Pandy's. It took me quite some time to convince myself to register, and it felt both terrifying and relieving to finally take that next step.
Knowing that I'm not alone in the thoughts and feelings I've had through this journey has had a huge impact on my healing, and it has helped me find the courage to open up and talk more in therapy. I found the chat room helpful in getting to know other survivors, and was happy to give back to the community when I joined the chat mod team and later became a chatterator. I feel both honored and fortunate to be able to continue to contribute to Pandy's as a moderator.
I work in healthcare, enjoying the never-ending surprises and laughs that come from working in pediatrics. Free time is spent with my very active son, going geocaching, dancing to AC/DC and Tom Petty, and building forts. I love reading, being outside, and anything Christmas. I'd really like to own a pet octopus some day, but for now I keep myself entertained with a few carnivorous plants, somehow the only plants I can manage to keep alive.
Kate
I am a survivor of rape. I originally joined Pandy's back in 2001 when I began to face my past - I was 17 years old, alone and completely lost with how to ever begin to deal with the memories. The feeling of relief I felt as I worked my way through the board was incredible - I never truly believed that I would ever be able to heal and yet here I was surrounded by so many inspiring people. Being a part of this community has been a huge asset to me as I dealt with the many issues that arose in the aftermath - shame and self-blame, self-injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and so on. During my years here I have had the opportunity to give back to this community by being a chat moderator, a section moderator of the Sex and Intimacy forum and a member of Team Welcome. Becoming a moderator here was such an honour, to be able to assist in maintaining the very place that allowed me to see that healing is possible.
In my off-line life I can be found in Australia, in a place that is far too sunny for me. I am a rehabilitative audiologist and I live with my partner of eight years. I have a completely unrelated Bachelor of Science with a specialisation in Wildife Biology, as well as a Masters of Audiology. I share my house with three parrots, two guinea pigs and two fish - as well as a small jungle of plants that I enjoy depriving of water. I love travelling and wish there were more money in the world so I could do so at will! Other passions of mine include wine, garlic, The Sims and horses.
Katy
I became a member of Pandora's Aquarium in September 2006 when I was looking for support to deal with survivor issues that I was experiencing in therapy. I was sexually abused from the age of 7 until I was 27, and was also raped in an unconnected assault in my late teens. Almost immediately after joining Pandy's, I felt that I had been welcomed and accepted into a very special community indeed. I became a chat mod in 2007, and was proud to accept the offer of chatterator a year later. I now have the privilege of being part of the moderating team at Pandy's, and to be directly involved in contributing to the community's development and ethos. It is an honour to be able to help support fellow survivors, and to observe the progress and personal growth they make over time.
I live in England and work as a Staff Nurse in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This job is extremely demanding and challenging, but the reward of seeing a very sick baby get well and go home more than makes up for it. I have a BSc and MSc in Psychology which I did purely for academic interest and do not practice in the mental health field.
My girlfriend and I have been together for 3 years, although for our own sanity we do not live together! I have three furry children - Noodle-the-Westie, Freddie-the-Chihuahua, and Harvey-the-Persian-cat-who-thinks-he's-a-dog. My great love is travel and, much to the envy of many of my friends, I spend a few months every year travelling the world and embracing new experiences. I also love photography, theatre, reading, and watching sports.
Melinda
I joined Pandora’s Aquarium in February of 2004 after realizing I still needed to heal from the sexual abuse I endured for several years of my childhood. I was immediately relieved to find such an insightful, caring, and fun group of survivors that I could relate to. The chat room became one of my favorite places and I became a chat moderator in September of 2004. Later I was able to be one of the first people to welcome new survivors to the board as a member of Team Welcome. To my delight I now serve the community as a board moderator; it’s fulfilling to be able to give back to the community that has provided me with so much through the years.
I have been married to my husband for 2 years. We live with our 2 cats in Philadelphia, PA, where I work as an Engineer. I volunteer with various programs in my community that foster interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math with youth, especially girls. In my free time I enjoy cycling, reading, baking, planting flowers, various video games, and anything having to do with music.
Sadie
A lot of my life has been shaped by abuse, I had an emotionally abusive childhood, a domestic violence relationship in my late teens that included rape and battery, and at 21 went through an acquaintance rape on a night out. When I joined Pandy's in 2007 I thought that my life would be all about pain and rape. I felt like I was always treading water and still suffered constant flashbacks, nightmares, PTSD and horrible self hatred. Pandy's was my safe haven, full of people that understood and supported me, and helped me go from surviving to thriving.
Thanks to hard work and Pandy's I'm healed from everything that happened and I know that I've come out of it all a strong and compassionate person. Life doesn't hurt me anymore. Every day I thank my lucky stars that I'm alive and OK, and I believe strongly in helping other survivors on their healing journey which is why I'm honoured to moderate here at Pandy's.
I'm a total internet nerd but when I manage to tear myself away I'm usually baking, reading, watching US sitcoms or just being silly and enjoying being alive. I do a lot of charity work for DV charities because life doesn't change because you want it to, it changes because you do something about it. Random things that I like include bags with bows on them, ducks and things that smell like oranges. My future plan is simple: keep smiling and keep trying to make the world a better place.
Monika O., MSW, LICSW
I joined Pandora’s Aquarium in 2001. The members were instrumental in helping me to cope with and heal from the experience of being stalked and repeatedly raped. I should probably mention that I am also a survivor of prolonged childhood sexual abuse and partner abuse and that Pandy’s was the first place where my complex history was understood. What a gift! I have done so much healing in the past years and Pandora’s Aquarium was an integral part of that process. Today I feel incredibly honored to be able to give back to this wonderful community.
I am a therapist, author and consultant specializing in eating disorders. The former Program Director of Hampstead Hospital’s Eating Disorder Treatment Center, I am currently in private practice in Exeter, NH. Among my credits, I am a contributing author to Self-Harm Behavior and Eating Disorders 2004 and co-author of Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide to Recovery, 1999. I have also appeared on several radio and television broadcasts including the Vatican Radio’s Generation Jubilee, NPR’s Public Affair and Boston’s WGBH Arts and Ideas.
I have been active in the field of eating disorders for the past nineteen years. I also taught the graduate level clinical course in eating disorders treatment for Plymouth State University and I’ve presented at a numerous national and regional conferences and often am called to consult for local private schools and colleges in my area.
I make my home in New England with my husband, our amazing and beautiful new daughter, our mischievous, fun-loving little puggle and our two quirky cats. I love being with my family, laughing, playing outside, meeting people and finding ways to drink up every minute of life.
Dr. Patti Levin
A Clinical Psychologist, my academic training includes a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston University (1975) and a Doctorate in Psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (1990). Much of my pre- and post-doctoral training was at The Trauma Center in Boston under the direction of Bessel van der Kolk, MD where I continued on as a supervisor for about 20 years.
My areas of special training and expertise include couple’s therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization), IFS (Internal Family Systems) and individual "talk" psychotherapy with an eclectic orientation (relational, authentic, feminist, existential, cognitive-behavioral, “whatever works”). I consult to and/or supervise other clinicians. I am an EMDR Institute Facilitator (I help train other clinicians in the method). I have taught and lectured internationally as well as authored a number of publications.
My “Common Responses to Trauma and Suggestions for Coping” [PDF] handout is now available on websites world-wide with my permission to reproduce and disseminate, so long as it is free and unedited. Learn more about me on my website: DrPattiLevin.com.
Jaime P.
Jaime lives in Central Florida where she teaches pre-school children with special needs and works part time as an in-home early interventionist for special needs children aged birth to three. Community involvement has always been a passion for Jaime. She started volunteering in a local elementary school when she was in high school and then in college became director of Best Buddies Colleges. For several years after college, she worked as a wish granter for the Make a Wish Foundation.
In 2000, Jaime switched gears and became involved with organizations focusing on sexual trauma, a cause that has become one of great importance to her as she herself is a survivor of childhood abuse, including sexual abuse. She helped organize and participate in the first Operation Freefall: The Two-Mile High Stand Against Sexual Assault, a survivor skydive benefiting Speaking Out About Rape, Inc. (SOAR) and has continued to support and participate in the event ever since. She has also assisted with various fundraisers and events for SOAR and The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN).
Jaime found a new way to help survivors and spread the word about sexual violence by becoming a speaker for TEAM SOAR in January 2007. Through TEAM SOAR Jaime has had the honor of speaking at several major universities as well as various community events. She is also a writer for the organization (Wo)men Speak Out and a special projects volunteer with the Sidran Institute for Trauma.
Her advocacy work took a different turn when, in 2005, she was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Jaime searched for support only to find there were very limited resources available. Her efforts to find support for herself led her to seek out other survivors living with the disorder. As she found others living with DID, she witnessed first hand the challenges they shared and decided to shift her focus to help others, like herself, living with DID. In July of 2007 she started one of the only peer led DID support groups in the country, which led to the creation of An Infinite Mind in January of 2008.
Jaime’s passion comes from the hope that people with DID can find the support and resources they need and will no longer fear the stigma surrounding the disorder.
Heidi S.
I have watched Pandora's Aquarium grow from from a seed of an idea to the amazing non-profit that it is today. I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and intimately know of the transformative power behind sharing our stories in order to heal and live thriving, passionate lives. I volunteered for several years as a certified rape crisis counselor and worked to educate the community about sexual violence by serving on a speaker's bureau. I have worked as a child advocate in a domestic violence shelter and facilitated expressive arts groups for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. I have also worked closely with LGBTQ youth to address the profound sexual violence issues that effect this community. I currently work as a wilderness therapist for teens in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. I also have created my own private practice in earth-based transformational life coaching. Here, I work to reconnect people with nature so they can be inspired to make the changes in their lives that will lead to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
I love my cats who love to torment each other. Most days you can find me photographing random, interesting things found in nature, hiking, or kayaking. Other days, you will find me curled up on the couch, napping, and dreaming up life's next great adventure.
Healing yourself is connected with healing others.
- Yoko Ono
